Method and apparatus for tempering glass



Sept. 27, 1938.

B. LoNG METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR TEMPERING GLA'SS Filed Aprill 8, 195e A3' sheets-'shea `1 L @wf/'Q B. LONG METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR TEMPERING GLASS v sept; 27, 1938.

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Eff/VA @D Z. o /v G- METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR TEMPERING GLASS 5 Sheets-Shen 3 55AM/AKD L10/v6 B. LONG Filed April 8, 1936 A ,MW

Sept. 27, 1938.

' htm/wals Patented Sept. 27, 1938 -l UNITED STATI-:s

METHOD AND APPARATUS Fon '.inlnrnii.-V

ING (iLAss` PATENT OFFICE? Bernard Long, Paris, France, assigner to The.: n American ySecurit Company, YWashington, D. C., f a corporation of Delaware f Application April -s, 1936, serai No. '23,3153 In France April-10,' 1935 43 claims. (ci. 4c- 45) IIhis yinventionrelates to a new process for producing sudden cooling ofV glass in order to temper it.

As is well known, the tempering of glass-articles But these results are however obtained only'if the heating and consecutive-cooling haveV been effected in well defined conditions. These conditions can vary from one article tothe other;

in some cases, the thermal. actions must be absolutely uniform through the surface of the article; in other cases they must on the contrary be reinforced in certain zones, eitherr because the article presents variations in its thickness, or for any other reason. But, generally speaking, it is necessary that either the action of the heating agent, or that of the cooling may be controlled and distributed at will.

In the tempering processes employed up to now, the exact and desired distribution of the cooling effects are obtained with difhculty. In fact, the known processes consist either in immersing the article in a liquid bath, or in pressing it between two metal plates cooled or not by circulation 0f water, or in subjecting it to the action of a gaseous fluid, such as air or water vapour.

With the liquid bath, the distribution of the cooling is controlled with difficulty; thus, it is practically impossible to localize the cooling in certain zones. l y

With metal plates, it is impossible to simultaneously ensure for all the points of the plates 'a satisfactory contact with the glass, unless these plates are firmly pressed on the article, but, in this case, the surface of the latter is spoiled.

'I'he air blowing process has the advantage of not spoiling the surface, but it necessitatesthe use of a voluminous supply of air and involves movements of fluid in considerable volumes which are sometimes difficult to control and to direct at will. Y Thus, the air which has struck the article at one place rebounds towards the adjagent parts and can interfere to a certain extent"'with theV articles, without spoiling their surface, by Vper- It allows of suddenly coolingthe glass y mittlng to-eifect the coolingaccording to any desired distribution.

The invention consists in cooling the articles vided with very flexible metallic elements which are capable of being placed in resilient contact with the glass surface such as' fine wires, or thin metal blades. In fact, Iv have discoveredthat flexible metallic elements satisfyingcertain conditiOns'cOnc'erning the natureof the metal.l the-` flnenessy and the length, grouped in such a ,man-f vby bringing in contact therewith 'brushes prol ner that their'f ends form, in the same way as V brushes or mats, real surfacesfandr .taken .at a suiiiciently low temperature, -such'for instance as ordinary temperature, caused byv their'contact with the glass a cooling suiiicientforjtenipering the latter. i l

I have foundthat, if the metallic "element is relativelythin, the contactofk the" brushes thus constituted do not vspoil the l surface of thewglass f although this contact is exerted :on surfaces having a vtemperature approximating thesoftening point, and that it is effectedwithfacertain presf f I sure against these surfaces. In thisoperation,

the metallic elementsyield, this allowing-v the brushes to conform to all the small Aunevennesses ofthe surface of the articles.' vOnlthe other hand, it is not indispensable that the brushes should be cut according to surfaces exactlysimilar tothose of the articles, as the slight'unevenneses which may exist in the' brushes disappear at the timevr of contact owingto `the corresponding' yielding of ltheimetallic elements'to a Agreater or less extent. v 1 Y The invention allows of ldistributing the cooling at will, in particular of exerting it incertain vzones or regions and not in others, or of exertingva more or less intense action accordingjto the regions.' For that purpose, it is possible to actr on the density of distribution. ofthe metallic elements.

such asvthe wires ci' the'blades, on their thick-y ness or diameter,- on` the natureof vthe metal X constituting them and 'even on their length, or

to combine-'these various means. 1

In any'case, the' action cina` zone'has not any` reaction on the Vadjacent,` zones;` eacl'iv brush: 'ele4 ment, constituted in' a definite'manner,l operates individually.` A y n v l `The contact'betw'een the brushes andthe glass lto be tempered can be obtainedin different manners, either by simply applying thesebrushes on the glass by'a movement directed at right angles to the surfaces -of'the glass article, or by moving them on these surfaces so as 'to `produc'ze a kind voi' sweeping action, or by combining these means.

In some cases, the metallic mass constituted by the metallic elements and the mounting or stock of the brushes is suilicient. for absorbing all the heat it is desired to remove from the glass. In other cases, it is necessary to evacuate it outside the brushes. For that purpose, the invention provides that the mountings or stock of the latter can be provided with boxes in which cooling Iiuids circulate. It also provides that the brushes can, during the tempering operatoin, in case these brushes are movable, pass in enclosures, or in contact with surfaces to which they yield the heat taken from the glass. f

Various forms of carrying out the invention arev illustrated, by way of example companying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view and Fig. 2 a cross section showing a. wire brush for carrying out the new process.

Fig. 3 is an elevation, partly in section, and Fig. 4 a corresponding side viewV showing a machine for carrying out the process.

Fig. 5 is a detail section made `on an enlarged scale.

g Fig. 6 isa diagrammatic view showing a special application of the new process.

Fig. 7 is a sectional view .showing a device for another application. l k f Fig. 8 isa modification of this devive.-

Fig. 9 is a vertical section and Fig. 10 a corresponding horizontal section of another machine.

Fig. 11 illustrates a brush of this machine in operation.

Figs. 12 and 13 are two lcorresponding views in elevation and longitudinal section of tongs of this machine.

Fig. 14 is an end View, partly in section, and Fig. 15 a corresponding plan view ofA a modification of the machine.k l 1 Fig. 16 is a diagrammatic plan view showing another form .of carrying out the invention.

Fig. 17 is a horizontal section of a constructional modification of the machine.

Fig..18 is a perspective view of a planeY brush provided with thin metal blades.

Fig..19 is a view of a .cylindrical brush provided with thin metal blades.

As illustrated in the drawings, the sudden coolingintended to produce temperingY is obtained by means of brushes such as thoseV shown in Figs. 1 and 2. These brushes are similar to ordinary brushes, but they are provided with fine and closely arranged metallic hair or bristles, made of a metal which is a good con.- ductor of heat. lV

These bristles can be constituted for instance by brass, red copper, silver lor like wires having a diameter of a tfew hundredths of a millimeter and having a length of a few centimeters.

Said bristles canbe arranged `in tufts I, f1tted into recesses 2 vof the mounting or stock only, in the ac- 3, and held by bonds 4, las in ordinary brushes,

but any other mode of k construction of the brushes suited to the nature of the bristles and to the use for which these brushes are intended can be adopted..

The surface formed by the ends of the bristles is made level according to a plane parallel to the mounting, or shaped according tok any surface. It can presenty bulged portions and hollows obtained by means Yof bristles of suitable length.

The mountingvis preferably made of ametal which is a good conductor of heat. It can have v single pinion II which actuates lbetween guide strips I5' in Fig. 5.

Figs. 3 and 4-illustrate a form of construc' tion in which two wire-mats are simultaneously applied on both faces of a sheet to be tempered by covering the entire surface of the latter, the cooling being obtained by simple application of the bristlemwithout displacement of the lat` ter at the surface of .the sheets.

The brushes 5 "are carried by mountings 6 secured onvertical frames 'l rigid with carriages 8, rolling on rails 9. These carriages are provided with racks II) and I0",

them in reverse direction. By acting on this pinion by means of a crank or of a hand wheel, the two brushes can be` simultaneouslymoved towards the glass sheet I2 to be tempered or they cani be moved away therefrom. This movement of the brushes can be produced by hand or mechanically. In`

meshing with a The glasssheet I22isacarried by a frame I3,

rolling on a guide rail I 4 and ttingat its base preventing any 'displacement of the frame at right angles to the faces of the glass. `The glass sheet is held by means of tongsy I6 which are shown separately These tongs are, on the one' hand, made of thin metal which is a good conductor of heat and, on the other hand, they are fitted up in such a manner as to clamp the glass sheet and to be in intimate contact Awith the same.

Inv thisA way, holding members are obtained which do not interfere with the density of distribution of the bristles and transmit to the glass the cooling action of these bristles without practically modifying it The distribution of the brushes which is shown in Figs. 3 and 4 is uniform and produces a uniform cooling of the glass sheet treated. For other applications.l it may be necessary, on the contrary, to obtain a tempering localized or reinforced inA certain regions or zones of the glass article. Thus, for instance, in wind-shields for motor cars, it has beenfound advantageous to temper certain zones less than others, or not to temper them, so that in the case of breakage, there are certain portions of the glass sheet which `dognot break into very small pieces and continue to ensure visibility through the wlnd.-

shield. Fig. 6 showsl a mat I1, in which the wires intended to produce the cooling of the glass sheet form a chequer-work. The portions of the glass with which the metallic bristles comes in contact are tempered, whilst the others, which constitute zones surrounded by the first-ones, are not tempered.

If it is desired to obtain a certain degree of tempering in -the surrounded zones, use is made of a continuous mat, but in which the density of distribution ofthe wires or its conductibility is smallerfor the surrounded zonesthan for the surrounding zones. i

For producing these special temperings, two mats of the type of those JustI described, are applied on both faces of the glass sheet, by means of a Vmachine similar to that illustrated inFigs. 3 and 4.

vAnother application of the' principle of 4the invention is that in which one and the same blocks of variable thickness, forinstance forr those having a triangular section, as illustrated in Fig. 7. In such articles, the portions of smaller thickness must be subjected to` a tempering different from that of the thick portions..

Fig. 7 shows a boxfor tempering these triangular paving-blocks. i

This box, having a xed bottom I8, is provided with a front wall I9, side Walls 20 and a top 2l which are pivoted together as clearly shown lin the drawings, and can befolded outwardly so as to completely open the boxand to allow the insertion of a paving-block 22. All these walls are lined with metallic bristles, but .the latter 'are' so made as to procure different cooling effects in the different portions vof thepavingblock 22. Thus, for instance, if they are allof the same nature. kdiameter and length, they can be more 'numerous per unit of surface near the thin portions. such as the angles.` Thebrushes illustrated in Fig. 7 diagrammatically show a distribution of the bristles in accordance with this principle.

When the box is closed, but empty, the-freev inner space has a volume less than that of the glass article, so that when the latter is placedin the box, the bristles produce a certain pressure on the glass by slightly attening.

For accelerating cooling, some of the Walls can be provided with chambers 24, Fig. 8, in which isproduced acirculation of a coolingiuid, water for instance.

For localizing the tempering effects,.the above chambers 24 can be divided into compartments in which different circulations are produced.

In al1 the foregoing applications, thexbrushes are moved against the glass, then, after having fulfilled their action, they are moved away.

Other applications will now be described, in which the brushes receive a relative movement relatively to the( tempered articles. I

In the machine shown in Figs. 9 and 10, a glass sheet 23 is treated by means of two similar rotary discs 25, each carrying a series of metallic brushes 26. Each: brush, during the circular movement, successively acts'on the glass sheet by sweeping over the same. Fig. 11 shows one of the brushes passing over the glass sheet, its bristles being slightly flattened owing. to the movement.

'The brushes also pass in contact with a cooling surface 24 'constituted by a thin water jacket,

-having a thickness approximating that of the glass plate, and to which they yield the heat they have removed from the glass plate. f

For allowing to easilyiinsert between the discs the member to be treated, a portion ofthe periphery of said 'discs need not be provided with brushes. The glassvsheet is inserted when the discs are stationary and when they occupy the sheet is placed in position, the discs are started.

The glass plate or sheet is carried by a frame 21 rigid with a carriage 28, rolling on a guiderail 29. An arm 3l), fitted between guidebars 3|,

'l prevents any side displacement ofthe carriage during the operation. v

As the brushes pass on the tongs 32 holding the glass plate, these tongs must have a minimum Once the glass one of these tongs. They are each constitutedby twoy small rlexibleyplates 33 separated from each other and fitting into recesses 34 ofthe frame 2l. Staples or rings 35 allow-` of vholding these small plates in positi0n. i a.,

Owing l.to this arrangement, vva. securing device capable `of being taken to pieces is obtained c 3 thickness." rigs. 12 and 13 i11ustrstein dessu.

which does notpresent any projecting `parts and L l on which the brushes canpass withoutdiiiiculty. 'I'he system shown in Figs.` 9-10 producesa lution. f.

` Insteadof being carriedby discs, ,asjust described, the brushes can be, carriedfby .endless chains, .sothat, during contact with ,the glass constant cooling action, as thewatery jacket v l ensures the cooling of the brushes at each revosheet-,the brushes move parallel `to themselves, Figs. 14 and .15 illustrating an .example of this l.

arrangement.` .The Ibrushes; .28 are l secured .1 on chains ,36 passingoverdrums 3 1. The glass sheet 23 to be treated is hung in the same way asin the preceding machine. y,The cooling water jackets` are arranged at 38. on theouter'path followed by the brushes l Another mode of ensuring the relative dis.-

placements of the brushes relatively to the glass sheets consists, for instance, in 'arranging two rows of:` fixed brushes between which .the glass sheets are moved with a continuous movement. Fig. 16 `cliagrammatically shows ran arrangement .of thiskind; designates brushes, 40 designates a horizontal rail on whichrolls the. carriage whichbrings ,the sheet yfrom the furnace 4l ,up to theizend of the rows ofbrushes., .The latter are stationary and the Surface. of the glasssheet is swept-owing to the continuous displacement of `the carriage. The ycooling of the. brushes can be effected by causingto pass, in theplaceand stead oftheglass sheetsplates of coldL metal, or by .causing water to circulate inthe mountings n of the brushes. i 7; Anotherembodiment.consists in causing the glass. sheets. to movebetween rows'ofbrushes havingsurf'aces of revolution and tangent'to the glass sheet, the axes of .these surfaces v,of revolution .remaining iflxed, and the brushes receivfinga continuous movement of rotationabout said axes. This movement can be directed either inA the direction of advance ofthe glass sheet, or in the reverse direction; the directiongcan Aalso be alternated by passing from lone brush'toijthe other. Fig. 17 shows a portion of van apparatus of; this kind in which: 42` designates cylindrical 'e Ybrushes rotatingI about f their vertically 'arranged'i shaftsy 43. i Theglass sheet 44 movestangentially to these cylinders. AInth'is figure, `it has -been The cooling of the brushes is eeetedzby means of jackets 45 in which water circulates and con- As shown in Fig. 18 lthe brushes'may con-1 A thin metal blades". Such brushes may be used on the hereinabove described apparatus and par'- ticularly on thoserepresented by Figures, Q and 10, or- 14 and 15.

A assumed that the direction of rotation is reversed V:from one brush to the other.

-stituted bya mounting-or stockt and by very tiated as inwire brushes in, accordance with the cooling to obtain.

Further Fig. 19 shows al cylindrical brush ccn-4 :y

70 The distribution. ofthe blades, thev nature of the metal and their dimensions may be differenf stituted by thin metal blades 48 which may be divided along the length of the brush in several parts 49.

Such brushes may be substituted to wire brushes of the Figure 17. i A

Generally speaking, the invention is not necessarily carried out by 'a cooling exclusively obtained by means ofl brushes. It can also be carried out by combining the action of the-brushes with that of othermeana'particularly that of jets of fluids, such as' air, produced bysuction or by blowing. i

Thus, in the case of Fig. 6 for instance, the cooling of the zones surrounded by the brushes can be obtained by means of air blown against these zones. In such a combination, the brushes have not only for effect to ensure the cooling of the zones with which they are in contact, but, also. of'constituting a kindof cellularfconstruction within'the cavities of 'which is exerted the action of the uidjets. the'eect of which is thus perfectly localized on the zones left uncovered by the brushes.

In othercombinations, on the contrary,the action of the air can be combined with that of the brushes, the air blowing being, in .this`case, effected in the very midst of the tufts of the bristles of the brushes. In these conditions,-the air acts in two manners: by its direct action on the glass article and by its cooling action on the bristles themselves.

Moreover, the action of the brushes and that of the fluids can be exerted simultaneously or successively.

The arrangements described above arey given by7way of example only; all the details koi construction, the shapesjdimensions and materials used can be varied according to circumstances without departing thereby from the scope of the invention. l

I claim: f

1. A method for the tempering of glass articles previously heated to the softening point which consists in absorbing heat from the surface to be cooled by the 'contact therewith ofbrushes uconstituted by metallic flexible elements.V

2. A method for the tempering of glass articles previously heated to the softening point which i consists in cooling the glass surface by: means of brushes constituted by metallic flexible elements by bringing such brushes in resilient contact with said glass surface. f

3. A method for the tempering of glass articles previously heated to the softening point which consists in moving brushes constituted by metallic Vflexible elements towards the surfaces to be cooled and in leaving them in contact withsaid surfaces during the necessary time.

` 4. A method for the tempering of glass articles previously heated to the softening point which consists in bringing brushes constituted by metallic flexible elements in contact with the glass surfaces to be cooled and in moving said brushes vwhile in contact with the glass by imparting a relative displacement to said brushes and said glass surfaces.

5. A method for the tempering of glass articles previously heated to the softening point whichv consists in cooling the glass surfaces by the contact with brushes constituted by metallic flexible elements, said cooling being associated withthe action of Jets of a fluid coolingfmedium.

6. A method for the tempering of glass articles previously heated to the softeningpoint which consists in using the contact of brushes constirbeing successive.

V`brushes being cooled surface;

ltuted by metallic flexible elements and the action of a uid cooling medium toact on respectively different areas of the surfaces to be cooled. f,

1 7. A method for the tempering of glassarticles previouslyheated to the softening point which 5 consists in combining Athe cooling action@- of brushes constituted by metallic flexible elements with that of a fluid coolingmedium, both action! being'simultaneous-.

8. A method forthetempering of glass articles 10 vpreviously heated to the softening point4 which ,1 consists in combining the cooling ,action of brushes constituted by metallic` exible elements with that of a fluid cooling medium, both actions 9. A method for the tempering of glass articles previously heated to the softening point which` consists in combining\the cooling action of brushes constituted by metallic flexible elements with that of a fluid cooling medium, both actions 20 being juxtaposed. v

10. A method for the tempering of glass articles previously heated to the softening `point which consists in combiningv they cooling action of brushes constitutedby metallic flexible kelements with that of a fluid cooling medium, both actions being superposed.

11. A method for the tempering of glass articles previously heated vto the softening point which consists in absorbing heat from the surface to be cooled by thecontact therewith of brushes constituted byl metallic -fiexible elements, the brushes being-cooled,v

12. A method for the tempering of glass articles previously heated to the softening `point which consists in absorbingheatfrom the surface to be cooled by the contact therewith of brushes constituted by metallic.. flexible elements, the brushes being cooled by circulation of a cooling medium through theirmountings or stocks..

13. rA method for'the tempering of glass arti- `cles previously heated to the softening point l' which consists in absorbing heat fromthe surface to be cooled by the contact therewith of brushes constituted by metallic flexible elements. the

by-contact with a cooling 14. An apparatus for the tempering of glass articles. comprising frames rwhich carry brushes constituted by metallic bristles, a movable support to position the glass articleV between said frames, and means for adjusting the frames towards the glass article and holding the brushes in resilient contact therewith.

15. An apparatus for theV tempering of glass y articles comprising frames which carry brushes constituted by thin metallic bladesa movable f support to position the glass article between said frames,` and meansfor adjusting thev frames to- Wards the glass article andholding the -brushes in resilient contact therewith.

16. An apparatus for the tempering of glass articles comprising frames which carry wirematshaving a surface vcorresponding to that of the article, a movable support to position the e5 glass article between said frames, kand means for l adjusting the'frames towardstheglass article movable support to position Vthe glass article be- 75 brushes having a differential distribution of the wires in accordance with the magnitude of thecooling to be effected on each point of the glass surface, a movable support to `position the glass article between said frames, and means for adjusting the frames towards the glass article and holding the brushes in resilient contact therewith. f

20. An apparatus for the tempering of glass articles comprising brush carrying frames, brushes with wires of diierent metals arranged in accordance with the magnitude of the cooling to be effected on each point of theA glass surface, a movable support to position the glass article between said frames, and means for adjusting the frames towards the glass article and holding the brushes in resilient contact therewith.

21. An apparatus for the tempering of glass articles comprising frames which carry brushes constituted by metallic bristles, a movable support toA position the glass article between said frames, and means for adjusting the frames towards the glass article and holding the brushes in resilient contact therewith and means for cooling the brushes.

22. An apparatus-for the tempering of glass articles comprising frames which carry brushes constituted by metallic bristles, a movablesupport to position the glass article between said frames, and means for adjusting the frames towards the Yglass article and holding the brushes in resilient contact therewith, and means for circulating a cooling fluid in the brush stocks.

23. An apparatus for the tempering of glass articles comprising frames which carry brushes constituted by thin metallic blades, a movable support to position the glass article between said frames, means for adjusting the frames towards the glass article and holding the brushes in resilient contact therewith, and means for circulating a cooling iluid in the brush stocks.

24. An apparatus for tempering glass articles comprising frames which carry brushes constituted by metallic bristles, a. movable support to position the glass article between said frames, means for adjusting the frames towards the glass article and holding the brushes in resilient contact therewith, and means to impart a relative movement between the glass article and the brushes.

25. An apparatus for tempering glass articles comprising frames, which carry brushes constituted by thin metallic blades, a movable support to position theglass article between said frames, means for adjusting the frames towards the glass article and holding the brushes in resilient contact therewith, and means to impart a relative movement between the glass article and the brushes.

26. Apparatus for tempering glass sheets or plates which comprises a sheet support adjustable in position between two series of brushes a movable .being diierent from one brush in accordance with the cooling action to obtain at determined points of the Aglass surfaces.A

mounted ony rotatable discs and adapted' to move on respectively opposite `sidesof the glass sheet while in resilient .contact therewith.

27. Apparatus'for tempering glass sheets or plates which comprises a sheet supportv 'adjust-` able in positionbetwee two series.of brushes' constituted bylffiexible kmetallic elements ,and

mounted` on'rotatable discs and adapted to move. on respectively opposite sides of the glass sheet' while y.in resilient contact'therewith yand means constituted by flexible metallic elements and 'y for cooling the metallicvv bristles by contact with acoolingm'ember. ,Y

28.' Apparatus for 'tempering gass` sheets [or plates which comprises a sheet support adjustable in position constituted by flexible metallic elements mounted on endless chains an'd adapted to move on respectively opposite sides.l of .the 'glass `sheetjwhile vin resilient contact therewith. jf"

29. Anapparatus for 'the "tempering ofl'glass between two series of brushes sheets or, plates',` comprising grippers to vhold the glass sheet in the formofthin lplates of metal of high thermal conductivity,` apairof frames carrying brushes constituted by ilexible metallic elements' to bringthe brushesjinto contact' with both` faces ofthe glaSsSheet."

30. Apparatus Vfor l. tempering plates c'orxiprising a memberarranged to support a glass sheet, b'rushesv constituted Aby flexible :lne-

glass sheets` or tallic elements arranged in two'series on oppoi site sidesl of the sheet forresilient contact vwith said sheet, and means for moving'relatively said member and said brushes.

31. Apparatus for tempering glass sheets or plates comprising a member arranged tosupport a glass sheet, brushes constituted by flexible* metallic elements arranged in two series on opposite sides of the sheet forresilient contactwith said sheet, means for rotating the brushes,. and means for moving the member to carry the glass sheet past said brushes. a n

32. Apparatus for the tempering of glass articles comprising a box having walls which support ilexible metallic elements on opposite glass article, and meansffor moving said-walls sides of a relatively to bring said elements into and out of contact with said article. l 33. Apparatus for the tempering of glass articles comprising a box havingwalls whichsupport flexible metallic elements on opposite sides of a glass article, means vfor moving said'wall's relatively to bring said elements into. and'lout of contact with said article,and means for posi-` tively cooling said elements. f

34. Apparatus for the tempering of a Aglass article which comprises asupport fora-glass article and `brushes constituted by flexible'rnetallic ellea ments to cool the surfaces of said article by 'contact with said surfaces, the density or grouping of the metallic eementsi varying from one point to the other of the brushes in -accordance with the cooling action to obtain at determinedv points of the glass surfaces. f

35. Apparatus for the tempering of a glass'article which comprises a support for a glass article and brushes constituted by flexible metallic elements to cool the surfaces of said-article by contact with said surfaces, stituting the metallic elements of the brushes point to the other of the 36. Apparatus for the tempering of a glass arthe kind of metal conl* cle and brushes constituted by flexible lmetallic elements to cool the surfaces of 'said article by contact with said surfaces, the dimensions of the metallic elements of the brushesbeingdiierent from one point to the kother of the brushes in accordance with the cooling action to obtain `at determined points on the glass surface.

37. A method for the tempering of glass articles previously heated'to the softening point which permits the production of a tempering 1o-y ing localized to certainzones of the glass article and which comprises a support for a glass article and brushes to cool the articleby contact therewith which are constituted by flexible metallic elements groupedaccording to the shape of the above mentioned zones. n

39. Apparatus for tempering glass sheets or pates which comprises'a conveyor to carry a glass sheet, two series of brushes constituted by flexible metallic elements oni both'sides'of' the path followed by the glass sheet and adapted rto comeinto a resilient contact with said sheet.

40. `Apparatus for ,tempering glass sheets or plates which comprises a.` conveyor to carry a glass sheet, vtwo series of brushes constituted byfex,v ible metallic elements cn both sides of the pathl followed by the glass sheet, said brushes being rotatable around fixed axes.

`41. 'Anf apparatus for the tempering of glass articles comprisinga box having its inner walls provided with flexible metallic elements and being adapted to open in order to receive and enclose the glass article to be tempered, such metallic elements being adapted to come'in contact with the surfaces of the glass article, while the box is closed. 1 v Y 42. An apparatus forrthe tempering of glass articles comprising a box having its inner walls provided with flexible metallic elements and being adapted to openxin order to receive and en- Vclose the glass article to be tempered, the walls of the box carrying also cooling jackets, such metalic elements being adapted to come in contact with the surfaces of the glass article while the box is closed. t

43. A method for the tempering of glass articlespreviously heated to the softening point in order to produce a' desired differential cooling at the different parts of the glass surfaces which consists in absorbing heat from the surface to be cooled by the contact therewith of brushes constituted by metallic exible elements having a cooling action which is different from one part to the other.

f BERNARD LONG. 

